Children

Due to overwhelming demand, the cooking team of Don Safford, Bill Chalberg and Susan Newman will be back for a Home Cookin' encore. All are invited to join us for this special family meal between 5:00 - 6:30 p.m. This meal is always awesome and the fellowship is fantastic!

Cost is only $6 a meal...the great fellowship is free! Please register by emailing John Smoke at john@dgfumc.org. You may pay that day.

What if God was bigger than you ever imagined? Beyond Belief! - the camp curriculum - invites campers to ask the big questions about God and explore how God can be seen in the vastness of creation, the power of community, and even in their own hearts.

DGFUMC is offering this summer camp experience for children and youth from 2nd to 9th grade at the Wesley Woods Conference Center, Williams Bay, WI from June 25-29. The grade listed is the grade the student will be entering in the fall of 2018.

Camp lasts only one week - but what campers take home can last a lifetime.

Registration for Summer Camp begins March 1 for DGFUMC members and April 1 for non-members.

Registration deadline: June 1.

A $50 deposit is due at the time of registration with payment in full due by June 25.

Space is limited, so register early!

Click below for a registration form or visit the church office for more information.

The first Wednesday family meal of this new year will be Wednesday, January 10 from 5-6:30 p.m. This is a great time to have a meal and connect with others in the church. The other benefits include not planning a meal and not cooking it! There are 15 Wednesday meals that you may purchase from January 10 to April 25.

You will notice there are four meals called “Don’s Home Cookin’.” These are special meals planned and cooked by a wonderful team of chefs here at the church headed up by Don Safford. Those meals are included when you purchase a meal plan. If you are only interested in the “Don’s Home Cookin’” meals, then you will need to just email or contact me a week before the meal (those cost $6/person). If you have any questions about this wonderful time for fellowship and food (not to mention no planning and meal preparation) please let me know.

See the form below for information on how to get registered for these church meals! Please register by January 7 if you plan on joining us on January 10.

The Giving Trees, which are now in the parlor, gives you the opportunity to purchase gifts for needy children, youth and adults in our community. This year, we are supporting ChildServ, PADS, and the People's Resource Center (PRC). Just choose a tag marked with the name or initials of these agencies and sign it out on the sheet next to the trees. (No need to sign out PADS tags)

The gifts for ChildServ and PRC must be returned with the tags firmly attached by Sunday, November 26 at noon. Gifts for PADS will continue to be collected into December. Contact Nancy Bifulco at nancy@dgfumc.org, if you have any questions.

This holiday season the Children and Family Work Area would like to invite you to take a moment from the hustle and bustle of preparing for Christmas to serve in a ministry of giving to others in need at Feed My Starving Children in Aurora. This Christian organization runs high-energy sessions where we pack food for the neediest children around the world.

All families are invited to a time of singing camp songs around a campfire on Saturday, October 21 from 6:00 - 7:30 p.m. in the Prayer Garden. Brian Crowther will play his guitar. Along with the singing, there will be pumpkin shaped cookies and apple cider.

Please join us on Rally Day as we kick-off our new year of Sunday School and prepare to make a difference as a congregation in the coming season. At this time, we will return to our 8:15 a.m. worship service in the Chapel.

We will be combining our 9:30 and 11:00 a.m. services into one Together @ 10 service at 10:00 a.m. in the sanctuary. There will be no Sunday School this day as families are encouraged to worship together. Sunday school will begin on Sunday, September 17 at both the 9:30 and 11:00 a.m. services.

Messy Church will also be held this day starting at 11:00 a.m. All are invited to join in a family friendly worship time with crafts and lunch.

We will continue our fellowship after services as the Children & Family work area has reserved the Tivoli Movie Theater for our Rally Day celebration. Everyone is invited to attend Sing, which will be shown at 1:30 p.m. Each child (12 and under) who attends church that morning will receive a coupon for a Kiddie Combo (box with popcorn, snack and drink). The concession stand will also be open for anyone wanting to purchase snacks. The doors open at the Tivoli at 1:00 p.m.

The movie is free for ALL (you don’t need a ticket) so please invite your friends and neighbors to come to church in the morning and to the movie in the afternoon!

Wacky Wednesdays is a summer program for children going into 1st grade through 6th grade! The mission of this program is to bring children together for a lot of fun and fellowship in a church community. Every child is welcome. Invite your children, grandchildren, children in your neighborhood, and children of friends---ALL CHILDREN ARE WELCOME! The program will meet on Wednesdays from 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM and there is NO cost! Parents are welcome to drop off their kids OR stay and enjoy the fun! Children are encouraged to bring one non-perishable food item each week to be donated to the People's Resource Center.

Schedule of Wednesdays and Themes:

July 5: Bingo Night and Toy Exchange! Every child that attends this evening will need to bring a used (still in good condition) toy that they would be willing to give up. All of the toys will be used as prizes for the bingo! Everyone will leave with a “new” toy!!!

July 12: Minute-To-Win-It Games! Fun and Prizes!

July 19: Let’s Dance! Coach Josh from the Downers Grove Park District will be our DJ for the evening. There will be great music, fun games, lots of dancing, lemonade, and other treats!

July 26: Water Fun! Let’s finish off the season of Wacky Wednesdays with some fun with water! There will be a variety of activities involving water including a water slide!!! Families are encouraged to come and join in the fun!

Please come to one Wednesday or come each week - whatever fits in your schedule!

For more information contact John Smoke at john@dgfumc.org or 630.968.7120.

Join us this August for Hero Central. Children will go on awesome adventures alongside some of their favorite Bible heroes and discover the qualities that make us truly heroic in God. Hero Central uses epic music, spectacular science, crafty crafts, heroic recreation and fantastic Bible stories to help kids discover their strength in God!

Children entering Kindergarten through 6th grade are invited to attend. The cost is $15 per child or $35 per family with three or more children. Cost includes all materials and a pizza lunch with a short program for families on Thursday, August 3, at noon.

Adults, please consider volunteering to help; it’s fun and the children love having their parents there.

Registration forms are available in the church office and below. Contact Pastor John Smoke at john@dgfumc.org with any questions or for more information.